"A bit numb" - Glenn Maxwell after his sensational knock against Afghanistan in 2023 World Cup clash
Australia's star batsman Glenn Maxwell revealed that he grew numb after his stunning knock which single-handedly helped his team beat Afghanistan in the 2023 World Cup. The 35-year-old also underlined that recovery will be critical, given the strain his hamstring and calf have gone through.
The Victorian batter walked into bat in the 9th over of the innings with Australia reeling at 49-4, in pursuit of 292. The five-time World Champions soon slipped to 91-7.
The match seemed all over bar the shouting. But Maxwell smashed an unbeaten 201 as Australia coasted to a three-wicket victory from that stage. He battled through several muscle cramps, which greatly restricted his physical movement, to craft a knock for the ages. It got Australia their 6th consecutive win in the tournament.
Speaking after the match, the veteran all-rounder said it felt like he and Pat Cummins were having fun on the field. He said, as quoted by The Sydney Morning Herald:
"It's pretty cool. It’s so fresh at the moment. I’m a bit numb to it. It was great. It was great fun. It just felt like it was me and Patty (Cummins) just having fun out there. I’ll probably reflect a little bit more over the next few days and hopefully, recover and get some movement back in my hamstrings and calves, but it’s a bit sore at the moment."
The right-hander reached his century off just 76 deliveries and the double-hundred off just 128 balls. At the other end, Cummins remained unbeaten at 12 off 68 deliveries, with the partnership unbroken at a staggering 202.
Maxwell, who earlier took a wicket in Afghanistan's innings, is also the first Aussie batter to score a double-hundred in ODIs.
"He literally couldn't move" - Pat Cummins on Glenn Maxwell
Australia captain Pat Cummins revealed that their physio Ben Jones had advised Glenn Maxwell to continue despite understanding that he is going through excruciating pain. The 30-year-old elaborated:
"We were just chatting about it, all the players, and we’ve decided it’s one of those days where you just go, ‘I was there in the stadium the day Glenn Maxwell chased down that total by himself'.
"He literally couldn’t move, then the physio (Ben Jones) was out there obviously and he kind of convinced Maxie that if he came off, he might be worse off. ‘Try and hang out there, stand up, and that’s probably your best bet. Because once you go off with that much cramp, there’s no guarantee you’re going to get back out there.'"
Australia have also qualified for the semi-finals and are likely to face South Africa. They have one match remaining in the round-robin stage. Whether Maxwell recovers in time for that game remains to be seen.